Corn popper



Aug. 7, i928.

H. A. LONGINO CORN IOPPER Filed Sept. 1Q, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l I A aunqH. A. LONGINO CORN POPPER med sept.l 10. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet PatentedAug. 7, 1928.

unirse stares Huren-ra.Y LoNGrNo, or RINGLING, OKLAHOMA.J

connr Porrna.

Application led September 10, 1927. Serial No. 218,792.

This invention relates to corn poppers and more particularly to a deviceof this character which is capable of usefor continually popping cornembodying means for dis-- charging popped corn while in operation, andreceiving any reasonable quantity of unpopped corn at one filling.

An important object of the invention is to provide means whereby thepopped corn may be separated from the unpopped corn and popped corndelivered to a. discharge conveyor by meansof Which it is carried fromthe popping apparatus A further object of the invention is to providemeans for separating any kernels of any unpopped corn, whichmay bedelivered with the popped corn to the conveying apparat-us from thepopped corn before it is withdrawn from the apparatus.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby theconveying apparatus and se arating apparatus may be arranged to de iverfrom the apparatus all of the corn contained therein whether popped orunpopped. n

A still further object ofthe invention 1s to provide novel and improvedmeans for delivering corn to the interior of the apparatus. Y i Theseand other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferredembodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinalsectional View through corn popping mechanism Constructed in accordancewith my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the corn popping Amechanism;l

Figure 4 is `a section on thek line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view on the f" line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a detail, fragmentary side clevation of the drum and theVsleeve mounted thereon.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on the line 7-7'of Fig. 1. V f

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10generally designates an interior stationary drum, the end walls of whichare aperturcd at 11 for the passage of a shaft 12, the ends of whichproject beyond the ends of the drum. Within the drum, the shaft hassecured thereto a worm 13 which, upon rotation of the shaft l2 in onedirection, delivers material ent-ering the drum through an opening aformed in the top thereof to an outlet spout 15. The bottom of the drumhas openings 16 formed therein over which tihe Vmaterial, passing t0theoutlet spout, must pass.

Surrounding the drum 10 and both rotatably and longitudinally adjustablethereonl is a sleeve 17 having an opening 18 in the side wall thereofcorresponding to the opening 14 of the 'drum 10. The sleeve 17 has inits bottom openings 2O similar to the openings 16 of 'the drum l() andaligning with the openings of `this drum, when the opening 18 of thesleeve aligns with the opening 14 of the drum. AThe drum 1() hasprojecting upwardly therefroma pin 2l operating in the sleeve which haslongitudinal andcireumferential branches, indicated at 22 and 23respectively. `Vhen the sleeve is so positioned that the pin is at oneend of the longitudinal branch of the slotjthe openings 2O and 16 of thesleeve and drum align. lVhen at the opposite end thereof, the openings16 and 20 are not alignedV and the openings 18 `and 14 are substantiallybut not exactly aligned. l/Vhen the sleeve is rotated, so that the pinis at the end of the circumferential slot 23 remote from the slot 22,both the openings 20 and 18 are out of` alignment with theircorresponding openings in .the drum. The sleeve 17 may be convenientlyprovided at its end with a projecting pin or handle 24 whereby it may beadjusted.

The 'numeral 25 indicates an outer drum having one end wall 26 thereofremovable and provided with an opening 27 rotatably receiving the!sleeve 17 between the end thereof having the handle 24 and the adjacentend of opening 18. The opposite end wall 28 has an opening 29 thereinpermitting passage of the shaft 12.

Slidable .and attached to the wall 28 is a latch 37 for engaging asquared portion 38 of the shaft 12 to lock the outer drum structure tothe shaft 'to rotate therewith. It will be noted that the inner end ofthe stationary inner drum 10 abuts the wall-28.

Secured to the inner face of the peripheral wall 39 and extendinglongitudinally thereof is a member embody-'ing radially directedinwardly extending spaced fingers 40. Assotending inwardly from the wallof the outer drum and adapted toseparate popped from "C unpopped cornand delivering the popped corn into the opening of the inner drum, thebottom wall of the inner drum having longitudinally spaced openings ofsize permitting the passage therethrough of unpopped corn.

4. In a corn popper, a stationary inner drum having an opening in itstop, a rotatable outer drum surrounding that portion of the inner drumin which the opening is formed, a worm within the inner drum, an outletat lone end of the inner drum, a shaft for rotating said worm and outerdrum, a plurality of fingers secured to and extending inwardly from thewall of the outer drum and adapted to separate popped from unpopped cornand delivering the popped corn into the opening of the inner drum, meansassociated with said fingers shiftable to close the space between thefingers whereby unpopped as well as popped corn is picked up thereby anddelivered into the opening of the inner drum, the bottom wall of theinner drum having longitudinally spaced openings permitting the passagetherethrough of unpopped corn and means for closing said openings. n

5. In a corn popper, a stationary inner drum having an opening in itstop, a rotatable outer drum surrounding that portion of the inner drumin which the opening is for-med, a worm within the inner drum, an outletat one end of the inner drum, a shaft for rotating said worm and outerdrum, and a sleeve surrounding the inner drum'having an openingcorresponding to the opening thereof, said sleeve being rotatable to aposition where the opening thereof is out of alignment with the openingof the inner drum.

6. In a corn popper, a stationary mner drum having an opening in itstop, a rotatable outer drum surrounding that portion of the inner drumin" ,which the opening is formed, a worm within the inner drum, anoutlet at one end of the inner drum, a sha-ft for rotating said worm andouter drum, a plurality of fingers secured tol and extending inwardlyvvfrom the wall of the outer drum and adapted to separate popped fromunpopped corn and delivering the popped corn into the opening of theinner drum7 means associated with said lingers shiftable to close thespace between thefingers whereby unpopped as well as popped corn ispicked up thereby and delivered into the opening of the inner drum, asleeve surrounding the inner drum and having an opening in its top wallcorresponding to the opening in the top of the inner drum and openingsin its bottom wall corresponding to the opening in the bottom wall ofthe inner drum and means for shifting 4said sleeve to throw the bottomopenings of the inner drum and sleeve out of alignment,4 while leavingthe `upper openings substantially in alignment.

7. In a corn popper, a stationary inner drum having an opening in itstop, a rotat able outer drum surrounding that portion oit the inner drumin which the opening is formed,A al worm within the inner drum, anoutlet at one end of the inner drum, a shaft for rotating said worm andouter drum, a plurality of fingers secured to and extending inwardlyfrom the wall of the outer drum and adapted to separate popped fromunpopped corn and deliveringthe popped corn into the opening of theinner druml` means associated with said ngers shiftable to close thespace between the fingers whereby unpopped as well as popped corn ispicked up thereby and delivered into the opening of the inner drum, asleeve surrounding the inner drum and having an opening in its top wallcorresponding to the vopening in the top of the inner drum and openingsin its bottom wall corresponding to the openings in the bottom wall ofthe inner drum and means for shifting said sleeve to throw the bottomopenings of the inner drum and sleeve out of alignment, while leavingthe upper openings substantially in alignment, or to move all of saidopenings out of alignment with one another.

8. In a corn popper, a stationary inner drum having an opening in itstop, a rotatable outer drum surrounding that portion of the inner drumin which the opening is formed, a worm within the inner drum, an outletspout at one end of the inner drum, a shaft for rotating said worm andouter drum, means upon the outer drum for separating po ped fromunpopped corn and delivering t 1e popped corn to the opening of theinner drum as the outer drum is rotated, means :t'or delivering nnpoppedcorn to the interior of the outer drum during'rotation thereof and meansfor delivering unpopped corn through an end ot' the inner drum duringtherotation of the outer drum.

9. In a corn pepper, a stationary inner drum having an opening in itstop, a rotatable outerdrum surrounding that portion of the inner drum inwhich the opening is formed, a worm" within the inner drum, an outlet atone end of the inner drum, a shaft for rotating said worm and outerdrum, the bottom wall yof the inner drum within the outer drum havinglongitudinally spaced openings formed therein of a. size permitting thepassage of unpopped corn therethrough and means for closing the lastnamed openings of the inner drum.

10. In a cornv popper, a stationary inner drum having an opening in itstop, a rotatable outer drum surrounding that portion of the inner drumin which the opening is formed, a worm within the inner drum, an outletat one end of the inner drum, a shaft 4 @man 5 ting' the passage ofnnp'opped corn theref In testimony Wh'eeof I h'i'unfo alx my through,means for Closing th last named s'ig'fhht. A openings of the innerdll'n, sind inans' 'm# f HUGH A'. LONGING.

